


Hitch Your Wagon to a Star

by LaurelNymph



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Actor AU, Ereri au week, M/M, spoilers for Levi's surname
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 04:25:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11592900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaurelNymph/pseuds/LaurelNymph
Summary: “Breaking news out of Hollywood! Oscar-nominated director Erwin Smith has announced the cast for the highly-anticipated, period war drama, Attack on Titan!”Eren Jaeger is a B-list celebrity, known for playing douchey characters in frat-style comedies. When he's cast in his first dramatic role, he'll need some extra teaching to succeed. Of course, things get complicated when it turns out his new coach is a familiar face.





	Hitch Your Wagon to a Star

**Author's Note:**

> This is a combination of teacher/student day and actor AU day. Enjoy!
> 
> Spoilers for Levi's surname.

“Breaking news out of Hollywood! Oscar-nominated director Erwin Smith has announced the cast for the highly-anticipated, period war drama, Attack on Titan!”

“That’s right, Scott!” the second host of E! News interjected. Clips from various red-carpet events flashed across the screen as she spoke. “The cast includes many veteran actors from former child star Krista Lenz to acting legend Dot Pixis!”

“But the most shocking casting choice is Eren Jaeger, who’s most prominent role to date was in Spring Break 2099 where he played a time-traveling surfer.”

The video changed to footage from Spring Break 2099, showing clips of Eren Jaegar partying with voluptuous women in futuristic-looking bikinis. The clip froze on an unflattering shot of him playing beer pong. Scott grimaced and said, “Yikes, Jen. What do you think Smith was thinking when he made _that_ casting choice?”

“We’ve got the video right here, Scott!”

The program cut to a pre-filmed press conference. Onscreen, Erwin Smith remained unflappable against the bright flashes of the cameras. He calmly said, “Every actor in the cast impressed me during their auditions. I’m confident they’ll all impress you as well when the film is released.”

The scene cut back to the E! News hosts.

“Well Jen, I guess we’ll have to wait and see how Eren Jaeger does in his first dramatic role, but I’m not holding my breath.”

“Eren? You can go in now.”

Eren was jarred back into the real world by the building receptionist. Thank God. If he’d had to sit there and watch that trash any longer, he might have thrown something at the TV.

Which would _really_ not help the image he was trying to cultivate as a serious actor.

Still, he was stewing the whole elevator ride up to Erwin’s office. It wasn’t like he _tried_ to only play douchebag characters in B-movies. It was just that since his debut role was a douchebag character, he kept getting typecast with no chance to prove that he could really act. Erwin Smith was the first director willing to take a chance on him and it burned that all of the gossip shows and tabloids were mocking them both.

His determination to act his ass off in Attack on Titan and blow everyone away grew.

After he knocked on the office door, he heard Erwin call out, “Come in Eren, I have someone to introduce to you.”

Eren entered the office and sat down. A rustling sound drew his attention to the couch in Erwin’s office that was usually empty. It wasn’t today. Eren almost had a heart attack when he realized who was sitting there. “Levi Ackerman?!”

What was he _doing_ here?

“I can see I don’t have to explain Levi’s credentials to you,” Erwin said with a small smile.

Of course he didn’t! Levi Ackerman was a household name. You couldn’t win twelve Olympic gold medals without attracting some attention. But why was he here? Was he going to be a consultant for the film? Eren had already read the script ten times just preparing for his audition and there was a lot of action that lined up with his expertise as a world-famous equestrian champion.

His question was answered quickly. Erwin smiled and said, “Eren, you remember we discussed some horsemanship training you would need to do before filming. Levi here has agreed to be your teacher.”

An Olympic equestrian champion was going to coach him for Attack on Titan? The same gold medalist that Eren had crushed on the last three Olympics running? This was like a scene straight out of his old middle school fantasies.

“It’s an honor to meet you,” Eren said, looking Levi Ackerman in the eyes.

Looking at the real thing was so different from the magazines and press conferences he’d seen him in before. This close up, he could really see the bags under his eyes and instead of wearing a show jacket and cravat, he was wearing a simple tracksuit. Levi Ackerman was still just as handsome, with a baby face that didn’t seem to have aged a day over the last twelve years since his mother had roped Eren into the world of competitive riding.

Levi Ackerman was looking him over just as intensely. “What riding experience do you have?”

“Uh, I rode a pony at the LA County Fair once. When I was a kid.”

“No experience,” Levi muttered to himself. He closed his eyes for a minute before opening them again and turning back toward Erwin. “This won’t be easy, Erwin.”

“I’ll work hard,” Eren said, barely even aware that he’d leapt to his feet. Even though he knew Levi wasn’t talking to him, he had to make it known. “I’ll do whatever it takes to deliver the best performance anyone’s ever seen.”

Levi Ackerman raised one eyebrow, but Eren could swear that that look in his eyes was an impressed one.

“Not bad.”

His heart sang. Levi Ackerman was taking him seriously; he was only the second person who had (who wasn’t his mom, anyway). He took a business card out of his pocket and passed it to Eren. His touch burned when his fingertips brushed Eren’s palm.

“We’ll work out the schedule later,” Levi Ackerman said before standing. And then, all too soon, he was gone.

“Brusque as ever,” Erwin said. Eren realized he was still standing awkwardly and sat back down. “Well, Eren, remember. I expect great things from you. Now let’s go over the other prep work you need to do.”

* * *

Later that afternoon, Eren was working out when he heard his fax machine start screeching. He finished his set before going to check what he’d received. It was his filming schedule for Attack on Titan. Eren glanced at it, and the message Erwin had included for Levi Ackerman to add in horsemanship lessons as he saw fit.

Ten minutes later, as Eren was doing pullups, his fax machine buzzed again.

This time it was the same schedule, but Levi Ackerman had added daily training sessions to the month before filming began and squeezed several per week throughout filming as well. Scrawled across the top in messy block writing was, “YOU’LL NEED TO STICK TO THIS SCHEDULE TO GET GOOD ENOUGH FOR WHAT’S IN THE SCRIPT.”

Eren responded eagerly: “Sounds good!”

He couldn’t do a thing about how everyone was responding to the decision to cast him, but he _could_ do his damnedest to prepare for his role and act well. That meant getting himself into the shape a soldier would be in, practicing his hand-to-hand combat with Annie for the fight scenes, and working with the script to understand his character. Getting started with his horseback riding lessons was another one of the things he could—and was going—to do.

* * *

Two days later, Eren arrived at Levi Ackerman’s riding school. It was so early it was still dark. He was pretty tempted to just lie down on the steering wheel and take a nap. But he refused to fail. He jammed his paparazzi-shielding baseball cap on and tried to suppress a yawn as he got out of his car.

“Sorry it’s so early.” Eren jumped about a foot in the air at the sound of Levi Ackerman’s voice. He hadn’t even noticed the other man parking next to him. “I had to work you in with my other students.”

“No, no, it’s fine Mr. Ackerman!” Eren insisted.

“’Levi’ is fine.”

The very thought of calling him by his first name sent a little shiver down Eren’s spine. But, “Okay.”

The gates clicked loudly as Levi unlocked them. He beckoned him forward with a, “Let’s get started, you’ve got a shitload of work ahead of you. With Erwin’s schedule I’m gonna have to push you hard.”

“Good,” Eren said, following him to the main office. That was exactly what he wanted. After Eren put his things in the locker Levi showed him, he followed him to a room with racks of helmets.

“Pick one out,” Levi instructed him. As Eren tried on a helmet, he continued, “The helmet’s really fucking important. If you fall, you can smash your brains out against a rock or wall. Don’t ever think you’re such hot shit that you don’t need one.”

Eren nodded. Levi frowned. The next thing he knew, Levi’s fingers were under his chin tipping his face up. At the touch, his brain short-circuited.

“And wear it properly. Yours is too loose. It shouldn’t be slipping like that.”

A deep flush spread across Eren’s face, a combination of embarrassment and shock. He couldn’t believe Levi had just touched his face like that. He quickly tightened the strap and this time, when Levi ordered him to nod, it didn’t slip an inch. Levi picked out his own helmet before leading him out of the office and, judging by the smell, taking him to the stables.

“This is the tack room,” Levi explained as they entered a room stuffed with saddles, reins, and other things Eren couldn’t name yet. “Arms out.” As he took each item down, Levi named it and heaped it into Eren’s outstretched arms. The two then moved on to the horses. Levi stopped in front of one stall and opened the door. “Here’s who you’ll be riding. His name is Brownie.”

It was an apt name. The horse was brown, after all. Eren couldn’t help but noticed that it was also very similar to the name of Levi’s competition horse, Blackie. A thought almost struck Eren dead: did he name all of his horses after their coat color? Eren snuck a glance at the next stall over which housed a palomino named, according to the nameplate nailed over the door, “Goldie.”

That was… freakin’ cute.

“Always tie your horse up before saddling. You don’t want him running away,” Levi said, walking over to the horse with a small length of rope. Eren tried not to flush, aware that he’d stopped paying attention when he’d starting thinking about the horse names. Levi didn’t seem to notice, busy knotting the rope that held Brownie still. “Time for the pop quiz: hand me the bridle.”

Eren threw himself back into the lesson and managed to find the bridle in the pile of tack in his arms. As Levi saddled Brownie and explained what he was doing, Eren was glad he managed to remember the name of every piece that his teacher requested.

Once Brownie was ready to go, the two moved on to the training ring. The sun was starting to rise by then, casting faint light everywhere.

“I’m gonna mount and dismount Brownie to show you how it’s done.” Eren watched and listened carefully to Levi’s explanations of every step of what he was doing as he swung up into the saddle. After he got down, he said, “Your turn.”

Levi held Brownie’s reins as Eren approached him. He put his left foot in the stirrup like Levi had shown him and managed to get up into the saddle. Levi looked pleased that he got it right on the first try.

“Nice job. Now get your ass back down.”

After having him practice dismounting and mounting for a while, the real training began.

“Start!” Levi called out. Eren nudged Brownie’s sides with his heels like Levi had said and they started moving forward. After they’d moved forward a few yards, “Turn right.”

Eren gently pulled the right rein and Brownie obediently followed.

“Good. Now back up. Turn left. Stop.”

Levi continued to order him around until Eren was riding Brownie with ease.

“Stop. Dismount. Now you’re gonna try trotting, I’ll show you first.”

Trotting looked easy when Levi did it. He posted with ease, bobbing up and down evenly on Brownie’s back. When Eren tried, he looked far less graceful. This bit was tricky. Even when he tried to follow Levi’s instructions on how to post correctly, he was still getting jostled around like crazy. Determined to get it right, he didn’t even notice when more people entered the school. He did notice when he heard a loud, cheerful, “Good morning, coach!”

Eren immediately recognized bronze medalist Petra Ral and silver medalist Oluo Bozado of the U.S. Olympic equestrian team. Apparently, they recognized him too, because once they’d made eye contact with him, they were gaping. The only one in the whole ring who was unperturbed was Levi, who greeted them with a, “Hey. We’re almost done here, you two can go get ready.”

The two walked away wordlessly. A glance at his watch showed Eren they had been at it for three hours.

“We’ll do cool down and then quit for today,” Levi decided. Cooling down meant walking Brownie around the ring until he was no longer breathing hard and hot to the touch. Then Eren dismounted and almost bit the dust as his tired knees started to buckle under him. What stopped him from hitting the ground was a hand grasped firmly around his bicep.

“Your legs’ll be pretty shaky at first. It gets better.”

In a daze, Eren barely managed to thank Levi. His brain was buzzing uselessly the entire time he was leading Brownie back to the stable. He only managed to focus when he was charged with fetching the water while Levi untacked Brownie. He brought the bucket of water to the horse, who drank eagerly.

“Thirsty boy,” Levi murmured to Brownie, rubbing his head gently. That was the moment Eren knew he was really in trouble. This wasn’t just a celebrity crush anymore.


End file.
